Slate-working tool.



PATENTED FEB. 21., 1905.

W. W. & E. BURK.

SLATE WORKING TOOL.

APPLICATION rum) MAR. 2, 1904.

iUNTTED STATES Patented February 21, 1905.

PATENT SLATE-WORKING TOOL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 783,100, elatedFebruary 21, 1905. Application filed March 2, 1904. Serial No. 196,222.

To (LZZ whom, it 777/0111] concern:

Be it known that we,WILLIAM W. BURK and EDWARD BURK, citizens of theUnited States, residing at Forest, in the county of Hardin and State ofOhio, have invented a new and useful Slate -Working Tool, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to slate working tools, and more especially totools in which mechanism for cutting slate is combined with mechanismfor punching holes therein.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a simple andcomparatively cheap tool adapted for use in connection with an ordinaryslaters stake for cutting and punching slate and also adapted forcutting and punching slate without the use in connection therewith of aslaters stake.

A further object of the invention is to provide a combined slate cuttingand punching tool of light and simple structure, but so designed as towithstand the strains to which it will be subjected in practical use andto be susceptible of long and efficient service.

In attaining the objects above mentioned we preferably employ the novelconstruction and combination of parts of a slate-working toolhereinafter fully described and claimed and illustrated in the preferredform of embodiment in the accompanying drawings, forming apart of thisspecification, it being understood that various changes in the form,proportions, and exact mode of assemblage of the elements may be madewithout departing from the spirit of the invention or sacrificing theadvantages thereof.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side view of the tool, showing themembers thereof locked together, the position of the members whenunlocked being indicated by dotted lines. Fig. 2 is a top view of thetool. Figs. 3 and 4 are sectional views on the lines 3 3 and 4 1,respectively, of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, in which corresponding parts are designatedby similar characters of reference throughout the several views, 1 and 2designate the main members of the tool, and 3 designates the pivot-boltby which the members 1 and 2 are connected. The member 1 includes ablade 1, presenting a convexly curved edge, a nailing head 5, disposedbelow the blade, a handle (5, and a supplemental arm 7, which rises fromthe member 1 adjacent to the handle portion, extends forward and thenupward to terminate in a sharp point or spur 8, which forms a punch thatmay be used upon slate supported upon the usual slaters stake. Theforwardlyextending portion of the arm 7 is beveled at its upper edge, asshown at 9. and the beveled edge so formed is adapted for use in cuttingslate when supported upon a slaters stake. The member 2 is almoststraight and comprises a bifurcated end portion presenting arms 10,which extend forward upon opposite sides of the blade 1 of the member 1and cooperate therewith in cutting slate when the tool is used forcutting slate without the assistance of a slaters stake. The arms 10 areconnected at their forward ends by means of a bolt 11 and are spaced ata fixed distance apart by a sleeve 12, encircling the bolt and disposedbetween the two arms. At the opposite end the memberv 2 presents ahandle portion 13, bent to correspond to the handle portion 6 of themember 1 and contacting with the said handle portion of the member 1when the two handle portions are drawn together, as shown in Fig. 1.Just in front of the handle portion 13 a conical projection or lug 1 1is formed on the under surface of the member 2 to provide a shoulderagainst which the hand of the gripman may be pressed in using theimplement.

The members 1 and 2 are held normally in the position indicated by thedotted lines in Fig. 1, a pair of leaf-springs 15 and 16 being disposedbetween the said members and attached to members 1 and 2, respectively,in order to keep the members normally separated. Consequently after eachmovement of the two members in cutting slate the members will separateunder the influence of the springs as soon as the hand is relaxed.

The punching devices provided upon the members 1 and 2 for use inpunching slate without the assistance of a slaters stake includes alaterally-projecting lug 17 upon the arm 7 of the member 1 and anupwardly-projecting member 18 removably secured upon the member 2beneath the lug 17. The lug 17 is recessed upon its upper surface, asshown, and is provided with a circular opening 19, whose margincooperates with the member 18 in punching holes in slate. The member 18is preferably constructed in the form shown in the drawings, having theupper part tapering, but terminating in a flat end. The member 18 issecured in position by a bolt 20 and a shoulder 21, formed on the sideof the member 18 and adapted to rest upon the upper surface of themember 2. f

The operation of members 17 and 18 in punching slate will be readilyunderstood from an inspection of the drawings. When the members areseparated, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, slate of any ordinarythickness may be introduced between the said members, and when thehandle portions of the members 1 and 2 are drawn together by thecontraction of the hand the member 18 will be pressed against the undersurface of the slate with great force, the member 18 being located verynear the bolt 3, which serves as the pivot upon which members 1 and 2turn, and hence forms the fulcrum of the lever by means of which themember 18 is operated. The pressure of the member 18 upon the undersideof the piece of slate is opposed by the pressure of the lug 17 upon theupper surface, and consequently a small portion of the slatecorresponding to the opening 19 in the member 17 upon its upper surfaceand corresponding to the area of the end of the member 18 on its lowersurface will be punched out, so leaving a hole with a countersunkportion adapted to receive the head of a nail.

The locking device by means of which the members 1 and 2 of the tool aresecured in the position shown in solid lines in Fig. l in order to adaptthe tool for use for nailing or for working the slate in connection withthe slaters stake are clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 3. The member 1 haspivotally mounted on the side thereof a locking member 22 ofsubstantially circular form, but having laterallyprojecting thumb-lugs23 and a third lateral projection 24, which is adapted to engage a smallleaf-spring 25, secured in a lug 26 upon the arm 7 of the member 1. Uponthe face of the locking member 22 a segmental rim 27 is provided. Thisrim 27 is preferably of the dimensions shown in Fig. 1 and is adaptedfor engagement with a lug 28 at the end of an upwardly and outwardlyprojecting curved arm 29, formed upon the member 2. WVhen the members 1and 2 are brought into the position shown in Fig. 1 and the lockingmember 22 is thrown into its solid-line position, the rim 27.and the lug28 engage, as indicated in Fig. 3, and the spring 25 presses against thelug 24 and holds the member 22 in the position indicated as long as maybe desired. When the member 22 is thrown into the position shown indotted lines and the rim 27 no longer engages with the lug 28, themembers 1 and 2 will be separated by the action of the springs 14 and 15and the locking member 22 will be held in inoperative position, asindicated.

l Vhen the members 1 and 2 are locked together by means of the lockingdevices described in the foregoing paragraph, the entire tool forms asubstantially unitary structure and may be used at will as a hammer, asa punch, or as a cutter in connection with an ordinary slaters stake tosupport the slate to be punched or cut.

From the foregoing description of the construction and operation of ourimproved slateworking toolit may be readily seen that we have providedin a light and compact structure means for performing the operations ofcutting and punching slate with or without a slaters stake and have alsoprovided a hammer-head which is adapted for use in nailing, so enablingthe slate-worker to perform practically all of the operations which areordinarily necessary by means of a single tool. By embodying in a singletool means for cutting and punching the slate as well as nailing it inposition the workman will be saved a considerable amount of time whichwould otherwise be lost in laying down one tool and taking up another.He is also saved the trouble of carrying a number of the toolsordinarily included in his kit and does not find it necessary to shiftseveral tools every time he changes his position in order to carry hiswork forward.

One of the special features of advantage possessed by our improvedslate-working tool is the novel locking device by means of which themain members 1 and 2 of the tool may be instantly locked together whenit is desired to use the tool as a hammer or in connection with anordinary slaters stake. By means of the thumb-lugs attached to thelocking member it may be readily thrown into or out of lookingengagement with either hand, and by making use of the hand in which thetool is grasped the other hand may be left free to handle the slate.

While the point 8 upon the upturned end of the arm 7 is adapted for usein punching holes in slate, it is preferable to make use of the punchingmembers 17 and 18 whenever it is desired to punch nail-holes. Theformation of nail-holes by means of members 17 and 18 is moresatisfactory, because the holes may be more accurately located andbecause they will be of the dimensions most desirable for receiving thenails. As the member 18 will become worn after long usage and its actionmay therefore be unsatisfactory, the said member is removably mountedupon the member 2 and may be readily replaced at small cost whenevernecessary. Similarly the springs 15, 16,

and 25, which are the only other portions of the tool which are liableto injury, may also be readily replaced.

IIO

Having thus described the construction and use of our invention, what weclaim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a slate-working tool, a member comprising a blade, a hammerdisposed below said blade, a supplemental arm disposed above said bladeand a female punchingmember projecting laterally from said arm, a secondmember pivoted to the first-mentioned member and including a pair ofparallel arms spaced to receive the blade between them and forcooperation with the latter and a male punching member carried by thesaid second member for cooperation with said female punching member.

2. In aslate-Working tool, the combination with a member presenting acutting-blade, a hammer-head disposed below the blade, asupplemental armprovided upon the top of said member and extending forwardly andupwardly therefrom, a laterally-projecting lug having an opening thereinprovided on said arm to constitute a female punching member, and anupturned punch at the forward end of said arm, of a second memberpivoted to the first-mentioned member and including a pair of armsarranged on opposite sides of said blade for cooperation therewith, anda male punching member carried by the second member for cooperation withthe female punch.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own we have heretoaffixed our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM W. BURK. EDWARD BURK.

Witnesses:

CHAS. PRICE, J. F. STEINMAN.

